Thread: San Diego: Activists kick off immigration reform campaign

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REGION: Activists kick off immigration reform campaign
Gathering in DC will push for immigration changes this year
By EDWARD SIFUENTES
Monday, June 1, 2009 7:07 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- Immigrant rights activists, including some from San Diego County, are meeting in Washington this week to push for immigration reform legislation that includes pathways to legalize the status of millions of undocumented immigrants.

At a news conference in San Diego on Monday, local activists said granting legal status to those who crossed the border illegally is the right thing to do morally and economically.

"Comprehensive immigration reform will reduce illegal immigration, strengthen the rule of law, help with the nation's economic recovery ... and create a level playing field for workers and employers," said Estela de los Rios, chairwoman of the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, a local coalition of immigrant rights groups.

More than 700 immigrant rights advocates are meeting in the nation's capital to discuss specific measures that should be included in the reform legislation, de los Rios said.

The San Diego news conference was part of the nationwide campaign "Reform Immigration for America" organized by the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant rights organization.

Monday's gathering included representatives from more than a dozen religious, labor and civil rights organizations, including Victor Torres, spokesman for the North County-based El Grupo, and the Rev. Madison Shockley, pastor of the Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad.

"Any time that you have a family where some of the members are citizens and some of the members of that same family are undocumented, the whole family lives in constant fear of being ripped apart," Shockley said. "And my sense of family values is that we need to find a way of keeping these families intact."

The group in Washington includes advocates from more than 35 states taking part in a three-day summit to establish legislative priorities and coordinate a grass-roots effort to push congressional leaders to pass an immigration bill this year, Rios said.

The advocates said they will also meet with several members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Immigration Subcommittee Chairwoman Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, who are likely to help draft the legislation.

Given President Barack Obama's busy agenda, some are skeptical as to whether immigration reform legislation is likely this year.

But if there is a proposal that includes legalizing illegal immigrants, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, will oppose it, a spokesman for the congressman said.

"It is difficult to predict right now whether a proposal will even be considered, given the agenda that's already on the table," Hunter spokesman Joe Kasper said. "Regardless, there needs to be a stronger commitment toward securing the border and enforcing the immigration laws that are already on the books.

"And even then, any proposal that includes amnesty would meet strong opposition from Congressman Hunter and others."

A spokesman for Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, said the congressman also opposes amnesty.

Activists are optimistic that Obama will make good on his campaign promise to make immigration reform a priority for his administration.

Illegal immigrants make up about 10 percent, or 1.8 million, of California's 18.8 million workers, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a research organization that studies the Latino population in the U.S.

In San Diego County, thousands of illegal migrant workers are employed in agriculture, construction, landscaping, service and other industries.

A 2006 study estimated that about 270,000 illegal immigrants live in San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties combined.

Rosa Lopez, a janitor in Le Mesa who became a naturalized citizen last year, said many of her co-workers are undocumented immigrants who are often victimized by unscrupulous employers.

She said the workers, including members of her family, are contributing to the nation's economy and should be given a chance to legalize their immigration status.

"All of my relatives work two jobs ---- they are hardworking people," she said. "They don't come here to take any benefits. They contribute to this country."


www.nctimes.com

IF YOU DONT THINK THESE PEOPLE ARE COORDINATED, LOOK AT HOW THEY ARE LINING UP THESE EVENTS.

LOOKS LIKE THE DEMOCRATES MEAN BUSINESS ON PUSHING AMNESTY

"Comprehensive immigration reform will reduce illegal immigration, strengthen the rule of law, help with the nation's economic recovery ... and create a level playing field for workers and employers,"

I was young and dumb in 1986 when I fell for that BS! Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...Ain't gonna happen!